Gary Mackay: Hearts goalkeepers haven't been able to intervene recently - thank goodness we have Craig Gordon

All you can ask for in your opening game, particularly against a team from your own league, is a victory.
Craig Gordon is a valuable addition to the Hearts team.Craig Gordon is a valuable addition to the Hearts team.
Craig Gordon is a valuable addition to the Hearts team.

Hearts managed to get that on Tuesday night against Inverness in the first Betfred Cup group game – thanks to Jamie Walker’s penalty.

Craig Gordon was called into action to make a few saves and that’s what your goalkeeper is there for. In the recent past, Hearts goalkeepers haven’t been able to intervene when crucial saves needed to be made and it proved costly.

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Craig showed his worth on Tuesday, especially with the early save from Daniel MacKay’s header. That meant the players weren’t having to chase the game early on because they remained on level terms. You can’t underestimate a save like that.

Signing Craig, even though he is 37 years old, is a major plus for the back four. It will also help the team as a whole if he can stay injury-free and be the first-choice goalkeeper at Tynecastle for the whole season.

Since Jon McLaughlin left, we haven’t had a really reliable and consistent keeper for a number of different reasons. Craig gives us that and brings with him a calmness and a sense of security which management, players and staff will feed off of.

With Michael Smith not in the defence due to his international commitments with Northern Ireland, and others like Mihai Popescu and Stephen Kingsley just settling in, it’s great to know Hearts have real international quality as their last line of defence.

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We all know Craig is keen to regain his place in the Scotland squad beside McLaughlin and David Marshall. I can only see positives in that for Hearts. It would be brilliant for him to get back involved in the international set-up.

People going away to represent their country is only a good thing at any club. They get a buzz from it but that energy transmits itself to some of their team-mates when they come back.

Other people look at it and think: ‘Well, he’s still doing it and getting called up at his age so why can’t I have a go at it? There’s maybe still a wee chance for me.’

That’s maybe not quite as likely playing at Championship level, although a goalkeeper is a specialised position. Steve Clarke will be looking at who does well and whether they can carry it on if and when Hearts get back to the Premiership.

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So there is plenty to look forward to over the months ahead. We now have a huge game looming a week on Friday against Dundee when the league campaign starts.

There are two other Betfred ties against Cowdenbeath and Raith Rovers before then, but there’s no doubt the league is the club’s absolute priority this year.

It’s vital we hit the ground running. Hearts want to get to the top of the league table as quickly as they can, then make sure they stay there until the end of the season.

The aim has to be to overrun the other teams and build a gap at the top.

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